Let's look at some of the keys and the secrets to maintaining long-term happiness. What are they? What are some of the things that you can do quickly and easily to build that power inside of yourself?

One of the keys to having long-term happiness is to watch what you're telling yourself. Watch what your focus is. Watch what you're thinking, on an ongoing basis. If you're telling yourself bad things and you're always grumbling about how rotten life is, guess what? You're not going to feel very happy. You need to watch what your focus is. What are you telling yourself?

Another key to maintaining this powerful attitude, is that you make it a habit. You build the habit of being positive, of having a positive attitude and positive thinking patterns. It's a choice. The habit is yours to create. Set the pattern up to run mentally more often.

How do you build a habit? With repetition. You do it over and over and over and the more you do it the easier and better it gets. So happiness is truly a choice, and it's a habit that you build.

Olympic gold medal ice skater Scott Hamilton, when being interviewed about his cancer treatment discussed attitude. Scott said, "The biggest handicap is a negative attitude."

He discussed in his work with dozens of coaches and hundreds of athletes during his career. He said the only in people he really tried to avoid, were those who were pessimistic and negative. They could cast a dark cloud over even the best performance.

Scott went on to say, "Do you ever have bad days? Are there times when your performance is not out to par? Do you make mistakes that can cost you a lot? Absolutely. We all have great experiences and we all have lousy experiences. The attitude you carry when going through those tough times makes all the difference."

Is it easy to stay up? It is actually easier to be negative then it is to be positive. Yet, the payoff for staying positive, is far greater. Life is more fun, you have more enjoyable relationships, people want to work with you, your body responds with better health, and much, much more.

Who would you rather be around--someone who's grumpy and angry all the time, or someone who is basically up to beat and optimistic? It is a choice. The one you choose, positive or negative, either enhances your life and your options, or diminishes the possibilities around you.

There are positive potentials, numerous possibilities, that you could engage in. You have to manage your self talk and make a decision that you're going to be one of those people who has this positive quality, who has this positive self talk going on inside of themselves.

Dr Norman Vincent Peale, said in his book, "The Power of Positive Thinking" said, "A positive thinker does not refuse to recognize the negative; they refuse to dwell on it. Positive thinking is a form of thought which habitually looks for the best results even in the worst of conditions."

So it's a choice, right? That's really what Dr. Peale is saying. It's a choice to refuse to give in to the negative. It's a choice not going to let it suck you down and take away from the beauty and good things in life. There are many things every one of us have to be grateful for. Instead of focusing on gratefulness some people focus on all the bad stuff. That's a choice. Don't go there. It is not to your benefit.

Happiness is something that happens because of persistence. Ongoingly you are doing something to make your happiness grow moment to moment, day to day. It is truly a choice. It's a choice of focus, a choice of desire, a choice of keeping on until you get where you want to go. You choose it, you make it better, and you keep moving forward day after day. The happiness key is that you do it every day. You focus where you want to go in your future, and through that you make your life ever more effective.

Make today, and every day, a great day. Get out there and go for it! Dr Larry Iverson.

If you would like more information on proven strategies for creating a more positive, unstoppable mental attitude, how to improve your relationships, and how to have more success in your life while eliminating negative thinking and negative self talk, all you have to do is go to www.DrLarryIverson.com/video1 and we will send you 20 videos containing detailed strategies on how to do exactly that. All you have to do is go there and sign in. We'll send the videos to you immediately. Be proactive.

The Best of Success to You!